


Faux Pas

by wisdomeagle



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Drunkenness, F/M, Future Fic, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-24
Updated: 2005-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-27 01:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/290143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wisdomeagle/pseuds/wisdomeagle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Willow is getting married, and Buffy isn't sure she wants to meet the groom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faux Pas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jennixen](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=jennixen).



> Written to a prompt: a Willow/Lorne wedding with "lots of humour, sex and someone getting really drunk and eating the weddingcake." Err... there's drunkenness?

"Xander!" Buffy forgot herself for a moment, forgot how old she was, forgot how much her legs ached from being tucked under a tiny airplane seat for seven hours after a long night of running over gravestones and dodging vampires. Xander seemed to have the same reaction to their reunion. His smile was the saddest she'd ever seen, but when he hugged her, the years between them evaporated, and he was just best friend Xander, who gave the best hugs.

"Lookin' good, Buff. Have you seen Willow yet?"

"No." Suddenly she was lonely again. Willow was getting married and Xander was her maid of honor ("fair's fair," Willow had said in her email, "and I was his best man. Even though I'm not planning to walk out on my demon the way he did on his"). Xander was _smiling_ , admittedly bitterly, and when she looked around, she saw that the parking lot was full of Sunnydale survivors and some very odd-looking people in wigs.

"Friends of the groom?"

Xander nodded.

"Demons? Should I have brought an extra stake or two?"

"Nah. Rock stars. Mostly not stake-worthy."

"Really? You sure? Because if they're anything like rock stars were when we were still capable of understanding popular music, a good staking might not do them any harm..."

Xander opened his mouth with a counterquip, but they were interrupted by a squealing mass of white sequins and red hair. "Ohmygod you guys! Can you believe it?" She flung herself at them; only Buffy's Slayer balance held her up, and Xander ended up on the asphalt. Before Buffy could make a pun, though, Willow had pulled Xander to his feet, talking the whole time. "Guys, everyone's here. You need to get inside! Giles rented a suit, and he looks great, and Kennedy and her girlfriend are arm wrestling any takers -- so far they're undefeated -- and Lorne has the karaoke machine going and --"

"Whoa, Will, slam the breaks. Isn't there supposed to be a wedding going on?"

"Half an hour!" she squealed, then automatically reached down to smooth her dress. That gave Buffy a good opportunity to examine her -- white lace, white sequins, white flowers in her hair and even, Buffy observed with a groan, white fishnet stockings.

"Willow, who dressed you?"

Willow looked uneasy for the first time since spotting her friends. "It is kind of -- white, isn't it?. But Lorne insisted. And I mean, I figured nothing could be worse than Anya's dress."

Buffy glanced at Xander, but his expression didn't change. Xander had obviously come to terms with things while he was in Africa. She felt a pang of guilt at not keeping in touch with him.

"Well, come _on_ , guys. I want you to meet Lorne before the ceremony starts!"

Buffy wasn't looking forward to meeting Lorne, for a couple of reasons. First, of course, she was worried that he wouldn't be good enough for Willow -- and given what she'd heard about him (demon, karaoke, really bad taste in wedding attire), there was a good chance he wouldn't be. But it was more than that. Willow said Lorne had known Angel while he was in LA. Buffy hadn't pressed for details, afraid of what she might hear, but it wasn't making her feel any more cheerful about meeting Lorne.

"Sweetpea!"

"Lorne!" Willow twirled around and was suddenly wrapped in a vinyl leisure suited hug. Buffy looked at Xander, who shrugged his shoulders. Lorne was -- well, a demon. Definitely a demon. Really she shouldn't judge -- not with the number of vampire boyfriends she'd had -- and Oz had been a demon too, and way scarier than Lorne, but he had _looked_ normal. Lorne looked, well --

"And these must be the fabulous friends of the bride. Buffy, I presume? Xander?"

"That's me. Us, I mean." Xander was obviously trying very hard to be on his best behavior, but Buffy knew he wasn't any happier about it than she was.

"It's great to finally meet you. I've heard so much -- especially about you." He seemed to be about to touch Buffy's cheek, then thought better of it (thank God!) and just said, "I always said Angel's taste in women was his best trait."

Buffy stared at him, took a long, shuddering breath (was she still able to cry over Angel?), and said finally, "Well, let's go inside! I hear there's karaoke!"

Willow beamed at her, flashed her an old look that said "we'll talk later" -- and Buffy steeled herself for celebration.

++

"This is really yummy wine."

"It definitely is. Want more?"

"Mmmm... more. Mr. Barkeeper Harrish, can I have another wine?"

"I'll go find another wine, Buff."

"Cos old enough to drink now, right?"

"Right."

Someone went spinning by, white and green -- Buffy tilted her head to get a better look, but they kept on spinning, laughing, whispering things she couldn't hear.

She wanted another drink, so she could stop knowing why she'd started drinking in the first place. Sitting at the dinner table with the bride and groom and all their twenty closest friends, and Lorne had started the drinking off with a something sunrise -- or was it a something sunbreeze? -- and then started talking about old friends and relations.

"Here you go, Buff."

"Thanksh."

"Are you okay? Need something other than alcohol? Maybe a shoulder to cry on?"

"'Shokay. I knew -- I knew he couldn't have shur -- surv -- made it."

Xander nodded and sat beside her on the windowsill. "Looks like Willow's happy -- that's worth something, right?"

Buffy nodded and slumped against Xander. "Danshing," she said. Wasn't worth it to try to fix her words.

"That's right. Dancing, and eating cake -- shall we go get some wedding cake?"

Buffy frowned. Her glass was empty again. "Wine," she said. "More wine."

Xander sighed and started to get to his feet, then sat down rather suddenly. He put a hand on Buffy's shoulders. "Look up." She did. Then looked down, threw up, and lay down, head on Xander's lap. "Dreaming."

"No," said Angel. "I heard an old friend was getting married."

"And boy, amigo, was I surprised to see you. I thought for sure you were dust."

"Lots of people have thought that," Angel said, "and it hasn't been true yet. Again, congratulations. Though I'm, um..."

"Surprised?" Willow. "I was too. But then, well -- I don't think I can explain."

"No need," said Angel. "If you don't make me explain how I got out of the alley."

"Agreed," said Lorne, rather too quickly. "Some things are better left buried."

Buffy tried to open her eyes, but it wasn't possible. She contented herself with waving a hand towards Angel's voice.

"Buffy, we should talk."

"Feel free to excuse yourselves to do that elsewhere," Lorne said. "Willow and I still have guests to entertain."

Buffy felt a hand go under each elbow, and gave up struggling as Xander and Angel dragged her away. The last of the party sounds faded away into a buzz of laughter and singing. She thought she heard Lorne singing the opening bars of a cheesy pop love ballad that was way dated, and that brought her back, somehow. She smiled and, sagging against Xander's arm, said, "Hi Angel. How've you been?"


End file.
